The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 – Houston we are go!
Well it looks like Samsung have finally got the green light to release the new Samsung Galaxy 10.1″ Tablet down under after Apple’s efforts to block the release failed.
After months of Apple’s senior staff calling Samsung engineers copy cats, the Sydney High Court denied Apples request to block the tablet hitting stores. In the end this turned out to be some free publicity for the guys over at Samsung who are about as popular among the iSheep crowd as Microsoft.
Many claims that this tablet is an iPad killer are yet to be put to the test. My personal opinion is that even though mac iOS is more “restricted” in use than Android it is simply a better platform for the average user. Many people complain that Apple restricts use of the tablet and for this reason Android is better, but in reality what doesn’t the iPad do that you need it to?
Anyway lets take a look into the specs of the Galaxy 10.1″ Tablet.
| Platform | Band | GSM&EDGE Band | 850 / 900 / 1,800 / 1,900MHz (3G variant only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3G Band | 850 / 900 / 1,900 / 2,100MHz (3G variant only) | ||
| Network&Data | GPRS | Class 12 (3G variant only) | |
| EDGE | Class 10 (3G variant only) | ||
| 3G | HSPA+ 21Mbps, HSUPA5.76Mbps (3G variant only) | ||
| Operation System | Android Honeycomb 3.1 | ||
| Browser | Google Browser (Supports Adobe Flash 10) | ||
| Design | Form Factor | Tablet | |
| Physical Specification | Dimension (HxWxD) | 175.3 x 256.7 x 8.6mm | |
| Weight | 565g (3G variant), 560g (WiFi-Only variant) | ||
| Display | Internal | Technology | TFT LCD |
| Resolution | 1,280 x 800 (WXGA), 16M Colours | ||
| Size | 10.1″ Widescreen | ||
| Battery | Standard | Capacity | 7,000mAh |
| Stand-by Time | Up to 9 hours – video playing Up to 1,800 hours – standby (3G variant) Up to 2,000 hours (WiFi-Only variant) | ||
| Camera | Camera Resolution | 3MP (Rear), 2MP (Front) | |
| Flash | Yes (Rear) | ||
| Auto Focus | Yes (Rear) | ||
| Shot Mode | Smile / Panorama / Action / Auto / Macro | ||
| Photo Effects | Grayscale/ Sepia / Negative | ||
| White Balance | Yes | ||
| ISO | Auto | ||
| Video | Video Player | H.263 / MPEG4 / H.264 / DivX / WMV Note: Full HD encoded content cannot be viewed in Full HD resolution on the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 screen. All compatible content may only be viewed on the Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 screen at a maximum resolution of 1,280 x 800. | |
| Video Recording | Yes – 1,280 x 720 / 640 x 480 | ||
| Video Messaging | Yes | ||
| Video Streaming | Yes – H.263 / MPEG4 / H.264 | ||
| Video Telephony | Yes – Google Talk Video. Other Video Chat and Conferencing apps via Android Market | ||
| Input Device | Touchscreen | ||
The battery life of the unit is sufficient, not amazing, but OK. You should be able to check your emails while 0n the toilet and still have enough power to check how much flour to use when making pancake batter. As you can see, with specs like this you shouldn’t see any lag during a fast paced game of solitaire or catapulting birds into wooden structures containing pigs.
One of the things I won’t fault with this unit is the video playback. The large screen on the unit is nice, it is large and videos look good on it. I’d recommend using it for Youtube videos or watching Tv series on the train, don’t go replacing your home theatre system in place of this tablet as you won’t exactly be thrilled sitting on the couch huddled around a 10.1″ tablet with your family.
The end result is a wildly mediocre “competitor” to the iPad. Think of it as a bigger, faster and better version of the bargain basement Optus (ZTE) tablet. Hardware comparable to iPad? Yes. Software? No it’s not iOS…
… Might as well buy a kindle.
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